BOOK VII. XII. 1-3 



dumb guardians of the flocks, though it is wrong to 

 speak of the dog as a dumb guardian ; for what human 

 being more clearly or so vociferously gives warning 

 of the presence of a wild beast or of a thief as does 

 the dog by its barking? What servant is more 

 attached to his master than is a dog? What com- 

 panion more faithful? What guardian more in- 

 corruptible ? What more wakeful night-watchman 

 can be found? Lastly, what more steadfast 

 avenger or defender ? To buy and keep a dog ought, 

 therefore, to be among the first things which a farmer 

 does, because it is the guardian of the farm, its pro- 

 duce, the household and the cattle. There are three 2 

 different reasons for procuring and keeping a dog. 

 One type of dog is chosen to oppose the plots of 

 human beings and watches over the farm and all its 

 appurtenances ; a second kind for repelling the 

 attacks of men and wild beasts and keeping an eye 

 at home on the stables and abroad on the flocks as 

 they feed ; the third kind is acquired for the purposes 

 of the chase, and not only does not help the farmer 

 but actually lures him away from his work and 

 makes him lazy about it. We must, therefore, speak 3 

 of the farm-yard dog and the sheep-dog; for the 

 sporting hound has nothing to do with the art which 

 we profess. 



As guardian of the farm a dog should be chosen 

 which is of ample bulk with a loud and sonorous bark 

 in order that it may terrify the malefactor, first 

 because he hears it and thenbecausehe sees it; indeed, 

 sometimes without being even seen it puts to flight the 

 crafty plotter merely by the terror which its growling 

 inspires. It should be the same colour all over, white 

 being the colour which should rather be chosen for a 



